As should be understood, bobbers are floats which are commonly used in association with sports fishing utilizing a rod and which indicate the presence of a fish strike at a submerged lure. One bobber which is commercially available, and widely used, includes a design which has a central passageway or eyehole through which the fishing line is strung, the fishing line freely passing therethrough relative to the bobber. In order to position the bobber upon the line in a desired preselected location, a bobber stop is employed to constrain movement of the bobber upon the fishing line. The bobber stop includes a bead or similar round object that is threaded or strung upon the fishing line in position adjacent the bobber, the bead having an outside dimension greater than the central passageway or eyehole of the bobber. The bobber stop further includes a means for fixing or mooring the bead to the fishing line in a desired location to constrain movement of the bobber against the bead. Various means are employed for fixing the beads in desired position to the line. One method, marketed under the brand name FIN.RTM. Bobber Stop by Arndt & Sons, Inc. and identified as patent pending, threads the fishing line through a spiral spring that is positioned adjacent the bead, the spring being manipulable by hand such that the coils about the center section of the spring may be spread apart until those coils are snugly positioned against the fishing line. A second method, marketed under the brand name TOUCHDOWN.RTM. Slip-N-Lock Stop by Tom Boy Lures, weaves the fishing line in and out through a member having a series of holes, such weaving engaging against the line to remain fixedly in place and the member being positioned adjacent the bead. In a third method, marketed as a Wazp brand Bobber-Sinker Stop, the fishing line is threaded through the hole of a rubber shaped donut that may be slid along the line and that elastically compresses against the line to hold position. In yet another method, the line is threaded through the hollow interior of a short glass tube that is wound about its exterior by a cord. The windings of the cord may be slid off the edge of the tube, the tube withdrawn from the fishing line, and ends of the cord are drawn tight to form a knotted arrangement that ties about the fishing line. The bead then abuts the knot formed by the cord.
As may be derived from the foregoing, the position of the bobber with respect to the length of the line may not always be readily repositioned along the length of the line by each of the foregoing methods. If it is desired to reposition the bobber relative to the line or other point of reference along the line, for example, where the depth of the line is to be adjusted, it may be necessary to rethread the bobber stop from the end of the fishing line or gently move the bobber stops along the length of the fishing line. This procedure may be time-consuming and frustrating. Further, the aforedescribed bobber stops are sized large enough such that they may foul the reel if wound within.
While the prior art has suggested various solutions to the present problem none have been widely accepted by sports fishermen due in large measure to the difficulties in implementing same and due further to the widely accepted use of certain designs of bobbers which have been commercially available for long periods of time.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a fishing line limit or stop which may easily be attached to a fishing line at preselected locations to restrain movement of the fishing line through an eyehole of a bobber or other object and which further avoids the detriments associated with the prior art practice.